NEWS
Police Brief 07/01/10
A 22-year-old male from Midland, Mich., reported damage to a parking meter outside East Akers Hall Tuesday evening, MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said.
MSU
MSU Weed Tour educates Mich. growers
More than 250 farmers, growers and chemical company representatives sat with their feet dangling off the sides of wagons Wednesday as tractors pulled them into corn and soybean fields for the 2010 MSU Weed Tour. The annual tour, sponsored by MSU’s departments of Crop and Soil Sciences and Horticulture, took place in fields near the MSU Plant Pathology Field Lab on College Road and allowed growers from across the state to look at research plots and make comparisons for weed treatments.
MICHIGAN
U.S. tanning tax enacted Thursday
With Thursday’s implementation of a 10 percent tax on all ultraviolet tanning, getting that summer glow indoors is going to cost more for MSU students. The federal tax, which was passed in March as part of the nation’s health care overhaul, is expected to generate $200 million in its first year and $2.7 billion during the next 10 years, according to the nonpartisan U.S. Joint Committee on Taxation.
MSU
MSU public access station WKAR secures funding for new tower
MSU-owned public TV station WKAR’s TV and radio broadcasting power soon will increase as the station’s 57-year-old tower will be replaced at the Dobie Road, Okemos site this summer. The station’s original tower, built in 1953, now is considered outdated, making WKAR eligible for federal grants to fund a replacement.
MICHIGAN
Bicycle pump track unites community
After months of waiting, the Meridian Township Parks & Recreation Department was joined by the Michigan Mountain Biking Association, or MMBA, BikeWorks, Denny’s Central Park Bicycles and the Meridian Township Police Department to officially open the course to the public Wednesday. The Eastgate Bicycle Pump Track Grand Opening is located at Eastgate Park, 4023 S. Meridian Road, in Okemos.
MSU
MSU Carillon Series honors founder Milton Muelder
This year, MSU Carillonneur Ray McLellan will be performing with a special purpose in mind. McLellan’s performance will feature a dedication to Milton Muelder, an MSU faculty member and carillonneur who died recently, as well as compositions by two of his other musical influences. The summer series kicked off Wednesday evening at the Beaumont Tower with a performance from Steven Ball, a carillonneur from the University of Michigan.
FEATURES
Miss Michigan hopes to use crown to fight human trafficking
With a platform based on her passion for the fight against human trafficking, newly crowned Miss Michigan 2010 and MSU alumna Katie Lynn LaRoche is hoping use her celebrity to make a difference.
COMMENTARY
Texting law only addresses factors
There is nothing like almost being killed by someone who isn’t paying attention while he or she is driving. In the majority of those cases, I have been (un)lucky enough to see the driver focusing on some cell phone-related activity that has nothing to do with actually driving. It seems that problem could be remedied on Thursday when it becomes illegal to text while driving. Hooray?
COMMENTARY
In residence halls, better to err on side of caution
Most students who have walked across campus have seen at least one of the more than 140 emergency phones that make up the Green Light Telephone System. The phones are connected to the MSU police dispatch and can be used for students during emergencies and for the university to convey warnings about the weather or an emergency situation, such as a shooting.
SPORTS
Landscape of NBA about to shift with stars
The waiting is over. Arguably one of the most important summers in NBA history kicked off at midnight, when free agency officially began. Led by LeBron James, one of the best players in the world, the 2010 class of free agents is loaded with talent and could completely change the current landscape of the NBA.
NEWS
Police Brief 06/30/10
Three people reported their belongings stolen from an IM Sports-West locker room on June 22, MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said.
MICHIGAN
ELPD secures funding for new K9 vehicle
Despite budget cuts and an overall lack of revenue, the East Lansing Police Department recently secured grant funding to replace an aging K9 unit vehicle. The department was awarded a $19,633 grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, a unit within the U.S. Department of Justice. State and local economic difficulties challenged the department to purchase a new vehicle, which is expected to be added to the fleet within the next few months.
NEWS
Police gear up for campaign to crack down on July 4th drunken driving
In a statewide effort to reduce drunk driving and fatal accidents during the Fourth of July holiday weekend, 30 Michigan counties, including Ingham County and the MSU Police Department, will participate in an 11-day enforcement period of increased patrols.
MICHIGAN
Grant to help E.L. business, MSU prof perfect new silicon-based particle
An East Lansing-based company came closer to its goal of helping an MSU professor commercialize his product with a $100,000 award from a statewide competition. InPore Technologies was selected for the SmartZone Award as part of the Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest, or GLEQ, Statewide Business Plan Competition, a contest to determine the most promising business plans for start-up companies.
FEATURES
Local band to release new 'country' CD
Local band Gunnar and the Grizzly Boys sat down with The State News to discuss their music in anticipation of “Home Grown,” the CD the band is releasing this month. The group has opened up for big country names including Gretchen Wilson and Justin Moore and plan to continue with their band in to the future.
VOLLEYBALL
Volleyball announces 2010 schedule
The MSU volleyball team, which returns 11 letterwinners from its 2009 squad, announced its schedule for the 2010 season Tuesday. Playing a tough schedule, the Spartans will face nine of the 21 teams in last season’s NCAA Tournament and three of the four NCAA Semifinal teams.
COMMENTARY
'Panty raider' case handled correctly
It seems the powers that be are going to go easy on an offender. The aptly named “Akers Hall panty raider” will not face criminal charges after being found with 79 pairs of thong underwear in April, Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III said Thursday.
NEWS
Historical foundations
Morrill Hall has been a campus fixture for 110 years. The building was named for the U.S. legislator who created the law that laid the foundation for land grant colleges across the nation, and served as MSU’s first women’s dorm. Now, Morrill houses several academic departments. Although the building is slated to be demolished in 2013, MSU officials are working to find a way to memorialize the historic building.
NEWS
MSU trustee mulls casino board post
Joel Ferguson, chairman of the MSU Board of Trustees, said Monday he is considering a position on the board of the Greektown Casino in Detroit, which ultimately might cause him to leave his post at the university.
NEWS
Texting ban to begin Thursday
Michigan’s texting while driving ban goes into effect Thursday, and local and state police are advising drivers to keep themselves informed of the new law in preparation for its implementation.